Method of drying articles



May 6,1930; A. .VVQMORRIS 1,757,205

I METHOD OF DRYING ARTICLES v Filed March 27, 192

ATTORNEYS Patented Mayl6, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT W. MORRIS, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE E.

GOBLEN S, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF DRYING ARTICLES Application filed March 27, 1928. Serial No. 265,137.

My invention relates to a new and improved method of drying cellulose articles such as pulp, cotton cloth or the like. It also is applicable to woolen and silk fabrics, and other absorbent articles. This invention is an improvement upon the invention disclosed in my copending application No. 190,527. Thisaps plication shows but does not claim per se, the use of an electric current sent through the sheet of pulp or the like, in order to assist in expelling the moisture therefrom, as this Other objects ofmy invention willbe setforth in the following description and drawings, it being understood that the above general statement of the objects of myinvention is intended to generally explain the same and not to limit it in any manner.

Fig.1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating one embodiment of my invention in which heat alone is employed, the heat being producedby an alternating current. Fig. 2 diagrammatically illustrates a second embodiment of my invention which utilizes an alternating current to produce both heat and electric osmosis.

Fig. 3 shows a third embodiment of m'yinvention in which heat is produced by an alternating current, and in which a pulsating direct current is applied to the opposite faces of the article to produce electric osmosis.

Fig. 4 shows .a fourth embodiment of my invention in which a substantially uniform direct current is utilized for producing the electric osmosis, and heat is produced by an alternating current.

.Fig. 5 illustrates another embodiment of my invention in which electric osmosis is pro duced solely by an alternating'current.

Fig. 6 diagrammatically shows how the example.

metal dies are placed in intimatecontact with the article to be dried.

As shown in detail in Fig. 6, the article P which is to be dried is placed in intimate contact with metal members 1 and 2.. These metal members 1 and 2 are preferably made of nichrome or other metal having a high resistance. the metal members land 2 are made of nichrome mesh, or of thin perforated sheets of 0 nich'rome having a sufficiently high resistance. The metalmembers 1 and 2 are preferably placed in very intimate contact with the article]? bymeans of suitable pressure so that said metal members may be imbedded in the article P if this is made of wood pulp for Before subjecting the article P to the operations of my improved method, it is preferably dried as much as possible by mechanical pressure which maybe exerted upon the metal members 1 and 2 so as to simultaneously squeeze out as much water as possible and to also produce very intimate contact between the members 1 and 2 and the article P. The pressure thus utilized may be as high as 2,000 pounds per square inch. As shown in the drawings, this pressure causes the per- In this particular embodiment forated members 1 and 2 to be imbedded in i the sheet ofpulp. However, I do not wish to be limited to having said members 1 and 2 completely imbedded in the sheet of pulp. Hence, when I-state in the-claims that the perforated member is imbedded in the pulp, I do not wish to be limited to completely imbedding the same. should have suflicient perforations to permit the steam to freely escape from the pulp sheet while the same is being dried. Otherwise, if

the steam is confined within the moist pulp article, and the steam is then suddenly released, this tends to injure the article, so that it does notretain the desired predetermined form. 'While I prefer to use two perforated metal members 1 and 2, I do not wish to be limited to the use of two such members, as

The members 1 and 2 long as the steam is permitted to freely es-- I cape from the pulp article while it is bein dried, so that'the dried article has the desires shape. It is understood that when I refer ,ulp I do not mean. that is ai)solutelyfree from v ufficient to have enough ,to produce a coherent or hown 1, the 1?! illustrate the Briimsmos v metal members '1 and 2, which for conven lence may be designated as metal face members, and then operatlon 1s the same as 1n the embodiment illustrated in 2. How

ever, a suitable generatqr G of direct current such as a dynamo or the'like is utilized for sendln a current-through the article P. If a water in said sheet to the exterior thereof,

said water being permitted to escape while directly heating said material by an electric current other than the previously mentioned current.

2. A method of dehydrating a wet sheet of pulp material which consists in subjecting said wet sheet to the direct heating action of an electric conducting means in direct heat-conducting contact therewith while heating said conducting means by the passage of an electric current therethrough to vaporize the moisture in said sheet, while per- 1 mitting the escape of the vaporized moisture from said sheet during the dehydration thereofwith suflicient freedom andrapidity to cause said sheet to be dried in and to remain in predetermined form after the electric conducting means is removed, said conducting means being at least partially imbedded in said wet sheet during-said heating action.

3. A method of dehydrating a wet sheet of pulp material which consists in subjectin g said wet sheet to the direct heating action of a'perforated heat conducting means which is at least partially imbedded in said wet sheet to have direct heat-conducting contact therewith, while heating said heat-conducting means to vaporize the moisture from said sheet, and permitting the vaporized moisture to escape with sufficient freedom and rapidity through said perforated heat-conducting means'to cause said sheet to be dried in and to remain in predetermined form after said heat-conducting means is removed.

4. A method of dehydrating a wet sheet of pulp material which consists in subjecting said wet sheet to the direct heating action of perforated heat-conducting means at least partially imbedded in the opposite faces of said sheet to have direct heat-conducting contact therewith, while heating said heat-conducting means to vaporize the moisture in K said sheet, and permitting the vaporized moisture to escape with sufficient'freedom and rapidity from both faces of said sheet through both said perforated heat-conducting means to cause the sheet to be dried in and to remain in predetermined form after said heat-conducting means are removed.

In testimony whereof'I afiix my signature.

ALBERT W. MORRIS. 

